A State of Contradistinction
by DreamingIn2Eternity
Summary: Worlds collide when two brain injuries force the minds of two very different individuals to share one body. Stuck sharing his mind and body with a strange seventeen year old female, Zack Fair wants nothing more than to return to SOLDIER as functional and efficient as he had been before. It would seem, however, that the Goddess and Gaia have other plans...
1. You wouldn't believe me if I told you!

Title: A State of Contradistinction

Prompt:

Zack knew he had always been a little nuts but this... this was pushing it. Seriously, pushing it. Worst of all, Zack couldn't think of anyone who would take him seriously, aka not brush it off as a joke or send him down to the labs in a straightjacket. Honestly, who would believe that the mind of some seventeen year old civilian girl had actually taken up residence in your body, and wasn't some figment of your imagination?

Summary:

Worlds collide when two brain injuries force the minds of two very different individuals to share one body. Stuck sharing his mind and body with a strange seventeen year old female, Zack Fair wants nothing more than to return to SOLDIER as functional and efficient as he had been before. It would seem, however, that the Goddess and Gaia have other plans...

Rating: T

Disclaimer (even though the site name is a disclaimer in itself):

I don't own anything but Aubrey, and even then, she is modeled off a few friends so... yeah. Anywho, Final Fantasy, and any and all other topics mentioned belong to their respective owners. I'm just borrowing them for the sake of writing *Fanfiction*.

* * *

Authors Notes:

Woo! Second full story outside of the Lord of the Rings fandom!

Yeah...

For those of you who haven't read any of my previous works, I am DreamingIn2Eternity. I am a twenty-one year old American college student, and am graduating in spring 2013. I am majoring in biology, minoring in chemistry, and I love music, writing, and art. One of my poems was published in a local magazine, I am a member of my college's marching band, and am ungodly busy with life. Due to this fact, I am a terrible updater, and it could be months (even getting close to a year on some of my other works) before I can update. I am also very picky about what I publish, so that plays a factor as well (I've been periodically working on this chapter for the past five months). Sorry, but I try to only present what I think is best, and I really am busy trying to get everything together to plan for the next stage of my life.

For those of you that have read some of my other works;

So, I know that I haven't updated anything in forever, but this plot bunny was in my head, and I had to get it onto paper before it turned into an "evil vampire plot bunny" and tried to bite me for ignoring it. Unfortunately, I can't afford the distraction, so I apologize in advanced for the wait between updates, and any potential editing errors. I'll do my best to update everything, but I'm not making any promises.

Regarding this story;

I don't think it'll be needed in this story, but if I have any warnings regarding potentially sensitive topics in the text, they'll be posted before each chapter. I will note, however, that the rating is 'T' for a reason- you have a sixteen year-old male and a seventeen/almost eighteen year-old female locked in the same mind space... just to let you know.

For those of you who might be curious, I got this idea while thinking about Samurai101's Naruto story 'Ascendent' (which I highly recommend if you have a chance to read it), and Final Fantasy 7:Crisis Core (obviously). There was another story that I read recently, where 'dead, 23 year old' Zack goes back in time to help his younger self, but I don't remember the story's name-that story had a little influence on this too, though. Oh! And yes, for those of you whom have read _Modern Me in Middle Earth_, Danielle is making a brief guest appearance. :)

Due to the multiple levels of narration and conversation in this story, different typefaces will represent different things. Hopefully the characterization will be enough to keep it clear, but here is a general guideline-just in case;

Regular story narration

/_hand signal/_

_Sounds_

_'Zack's thoughts'_

_"Aubrey's thoughts"_

Anything else should be indicated through the narration, but if something is unclear, please tell me so I can try to fix it.

Just as a side note; I've never played any type of Final Fantasy Game. I've watched Final Fantasy Advent Children, and a collection of cutscenes from Crisis Core, but that, plus my knowledge from reading Final Fantasy fanfiction, is the extent of my Final Fantasy background. If you have any suggestions, please leave me a review or PM me with your comment. Any links to help support your statement, regarding cannon structure, would also be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

Oh, and regarding the band incident, it's never happened to me, or to anyone I know, if it has even happened at all- but I think about it all of the time when we (the band members) are waiting for halftime to start... it is one of my fears when down in that area of the field... so that is why it is in here :) And I love Aubrey to death, she is an absolute sweet-heart, so don't take this as some ill wish to her... it's not :)

I also apologize for butchering anything football related. I've been watching it since my freshman year of high school, and I still only understand the very basics of it. If you have any corrections or suggestions, please let me know!

Enjoy!

Prologue: You wouldn't believe me if I told you...

* * *

Danielle looked at the girl across from her. The young freshman had been "off" for the past few weeks, not surprising given the accident she was involved in. No, something else was bothering the freshman, something else had happened, something that had frightened the freshman terribly. Danielle was getting the feeling that she was about to find out what.

"I think I'm going crazy, Danielle"

Normally, Danielle would say something jokingly like 'what was your first clue?', but she knew now was not the time. The normally happy-go-lucky girl in front of her was dead serious.

"What do you mean?"

"I... well... let me put it this way: have you ever had an out-of-body experience, before?"

"No... you have?" Danielle asked, almost worriedly.

"Well, I think I did, but it's not like what you would expect"

"I'm not sure I understand what you're saying"

"Um, it was either an out-of-body experience or, more likely, some sort of hallucination..."

"Care to explain further?" Danielle asked, still a bit confused on what her friend was really trying to say.

"It felt like an out-of-body experience, but logically it could only have been a hallucination... "

"Oh. But you're still not sure..."

"... yeah..."

"Tell me about what happened. I might be able to help you make up your mind"

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you..."

"Oh, I don't know about that" Danielle said with a small smile, thinking of her own misadventures, "I can assure you there is very little that would surprise me, and even less that I wouldn't believe..."

"Fine, but promise you wont tell _anyone,_ ok?"

"Promise"

"Thanks... do you remember the game on October sixth?"

"Of course, that's when you asked me about the Tuba section _and_ when you were involved in that little incident- worst marching band related fear in the world for me, by the way" Danielle shuddered briefly at the memory before continuing, "You're little experience through it hasn't done anything to alleviate that fear..."

"Of all the things to remember, you remember me asking you about the Tuba section's name?... Whatever... Anyways, I'm pretty sure that's when it all began"

* * *

Thanks for reading! Please leave a review!


	2. Chapter 1: It's Game Time!

Due to the multiple levels of narration and conversation in this story, different typefaces will represent different things. Hopefully the characterization will be enough to keep it clear, but here is a general guideline-just in case;

Regular story narration

/_hand signal/_

_Sounds_

_'Zack's thoughts'_

_"Aubrey's thoughts"_

Chapter 1: It's Game time!

* * *

"Tubas! Head down to the field!"

Up high in the student section, the three-hundred member West Lake University Stallion Marching Band cheered their team on. It was the 2012 Homecoming game, with five minutes on the clock until halftime, and the band was beginning to make their way to the field for their halftime performance. Aubrey Sibuz, first year member, turned and waved to the departing section behind her.

"Good luck, guys!"

"Thanks, you too!"

Turning back to the game before her, Aubrey happily noted the Stallion's fourteen point lead, before turning to her section member beside her, a third year member in the band, "Hey, Danielle? Why do we call our Sousaphones 'Tubas'?"

After a moment in thought, Danielle responded, "... I have no idea... because it's easier to say 'Tuba'? I dunno... Ask Franny, she might know"

"Piccolos! Head down to the field!"

Grabbing her shako and her piccolo, and double checking to make sure her gloves were still beneath her left shoulder strap, Aubrey followed the piccolo section down to the field.

As true with all football time, the five minutes of "game time" remaining in the second quarter ended up being more like fifteen. Aubrey and the other band members waited patiently in the extra area surrounding the field at the end zone. Aubrey caught snippets of the conversation around her as she moved her way to the front of the group to get a better view of the game...

"_Cell Block Tango_, make it hot"

"Be angry! Angry, piccolos!"

"Don't forget about the adjusted set for _At Last_!"

"Pay attention when playing the Alma-Mater for the Homecoming court"

"Come-on Stallions! Just a few more yards to go! Let's get a touchdown!"

Aubrey was finally close enough to observe the game before her, finding herself again standing next to Danielle. The two briefly smiled at each other before turning their gaze back to the game; the play was on the side of the field closest to them and they had the best "seats" in the house.

Two minutes on the clock and just a handful of yards to go. The teams flurried into sudden motion- the Stallion's black jerseys mixing with those of the opposing team. Players running towards the press-box side, the ball thrown to the student end. Caught by a Stallion! The Stadium noise gradually increasing as the Stallions get closer to the end zone and... TOUCHDOWN! The stadium erupts in cheers and band members jump and cheer in celebration!

The cheers turn to screams...

"Look out!"  
"Get outta the way!"

Suddenly the bodies of the football players are very close, moving fast, and unable to stop. Not a second later, Aubrey is slammed into by one of the players, and thrown back into band members behind her, her world dark before she even felt her friends catch her as she fell.

* * *

~o~

* * *

From within the dense bushes just inside the tree line, two young men observed the massive stone structure before them; past the barbed-wire fence and various groups of guards, the crumbling structure concealed the target of their mission.

The men, a young adult and teenager, teacher and student, had spent the past few hours in their current location, observing their opponents while awaiting the return of their comrades.

The young adult, First Class SOLDIER Angeal Hewely, fought the urge to roll his eyes. Like always, his student was full of pent up energy; shifting and fidgeting, unable to sit still. To anyone else, his student's constant movement, especially in their current situation, would appear to be nerves- but Angeal knew better, his young student was far from nervous. For a moment, he turned his gaze to his student.

"Zack, focus" He whispered.

"I am" The restive Second Class SOLDIER responded.

"Then stop moving, you're making too much noise"

Zack stopped moving for a moment before turning to face his instructor, "Sorry, 'Geal. But can we go now? All of this waiting is driving me crazy".

"So I see, but we need to wait for Sephiroth and Genesis to return before we attack"

Zack sighed in frustration, returning his gaze to the target. Again, he ran through his mental checklist for evaluating his soon-to-be enemy. Angeal, taking pity on his restless student, provided a small distraction to occupy Zack until their comrades returned.

"Which of the guards, do you think, will pose the most trouble?" he asked quietly, gaining his student's immediate attention.

"Some of the larger guards appear to have been enhanced with mako, but with the three of you that's probably not going to be a problem. The guards on the second and third level tiers, however, are another story"

"How so?"

Zack was well aware that his teacher was merely quizzing him; Angeal already knew the details to what he was asking from Zack. Angeal always focused on observation while they trained saying, 'Thorough observation permits accurate, and effective, evaluation and planning. Even the smallest details can determine life or death for you or your squad'.

"They have the advantage of high ground, which increases their shooting range while decreasing our ability to accurately return fire. Not only that, they appear to have snipers positioned in various windows. Once we enter the field, we won't be able to see the snipers, but they'll have a clear shot at us"

"Why won't the guards on tiers five and six be a problem?"

"By the time they are able to organize themselves for close range, we will be halfway through the field and out of their shooting area. I'm surprised that they have such a large ledge up there, it will become a huge handicap for them when their guns have to be angled downward to shoot... Why is there such a large ledge up there?"

"This facility was once used for research, pertaining to the atmosphere and weather. The machines they used to accomplish various analytic tests, were placed on those ledges"

"Huh... a building once used for research on the atmosphere and weather, now hosting terrorists... I suppose we should be thankful to whomever made that decision. Makes our job a lot easier..."

From a few feet behind him, Angeal heard two sets of familiar, quiet, footsteps. Looking back, he greeted his friends with a nod. Sephiroth used hand signs to tell Angeal about the upcoming 'mission start' signal; _/within the hour/, /green/, /flare/, /SOLDIER/, /Turks/, /begin/, /simultaneously/_. Angeal nodded again, indicating he understood the message.

A moment later, Zack too was aware of their presence, nodding respectfully to his superiors, before returning his gaze to the target, and then to Angeal. From the look his student was giving him, Angeal could almost hear the unspoken question.

"We need to wait for the signal, Zack" Angeal admonished quietly, as Genesis and Sephiroth took their positions flanking him and his student.

"What? Now we have to wait for a signal? That's not fair, we've been here for hours..." Zack lamented.

As they waited for the signal, the four of them continued to observe the target. A brief flash of apprehension moved through Angeal when he noticed Genesis turning to speak to him. Had he and Zack missed something when doing the pre-mission evaluation?

"I thought you said this kid was going to be an asset on this mission" Genesis whispered, leaning his head slightly towards Zack,"He'll be useless if he's going to be a ball of nerves this whole time".

"Hey! I'm not n-mphf" Angeal quickly threw his hand over his students mouth, muffling the sound of his student's protest and simultaneously forcing the both of them to the ground. Next to them, Sephrioth and Genesis had done the same. All four were completely motionless as they prayed for the watchman's inevitable gaze to turn elsewhere. After a few long seconds of complete silence, Sephiroth indicated for them to return to their original positions.

Zack looked at his three superiors sheepishly, grateful that looks couldn't kill. "Sorry" he whispered, apologetically. As his gaze fell on Genesis, he scowled, "I'm not nervous".

"You keep moving around and making noise like that and it won't matter- you'll blow our cover" Genesis replied sharply.

Before Zack could respond, Angeal cut in, "Zack, focus" he repeated, noticing that Zack had resumed his constant movement. "Do you remember our objective?"

"Of course; 'Apprehend Doctor Mivels Hailbe and destroy any Shinra-related information he has given to the enemy'... when will the signal be set off? "

"Soon, Zack. Be patient"

"Zack," Sephiroth interrupted, "stop moving". The general didn't need to add 'that's an order' to his statement. All SOLDIERs knew that tone and look meant business, and Zack responded accordingly; halting his motion as if suddenly frozen.

"Sorry, Sir"

During the following ten minutes, Zack struggled to remain still. Were the four of them not in the middle of a soon-to-be battle field, the situation might have even been funny. Every time Zack's mind drifted onto something else, he would subconsciously begin moving again, only to catch himself a moment later, halting his movement abruptly.

After what felt like an eternity to Zack, the attack signal was set off; a bright green flare shot high above the crumbling building signaled the SOLDIERs and Turks to begin the mission. After drawing their swords, Sephiroth, Genesis, Angeal, and Zack lept out from their hiding place, and sprinted into the field before them.

Gun shots filled the air immediately, the guards firing off into the surrounding woods, not knowing where their enemies were. They did not have to wait long for their enemies to expose themselves; four men, SOLDIERs from the look of it, sprang from the bushes on the north side, almost too fast to see.

Up on the wall, the guardmen flurried into motion. Various shouts and commands filled the air, though the sounds were lost to the SOLDIERs below.

"Captian! They are coming from the north!"

" 'ow many, 'Awk?"

"Four. SOLDIERs by the looks of it, Sir"

" 'S that the SOLDIER Three?"

"Who?"

"The SOLDIER Three; General Sephiroth, Angeal Hewely, and Genesis Rasphdos... oh Gaia! 'S them, we're gonna die!"

"What'r SOLDIERs?"

"What do you mean ' What'r SOLDIERs? '... Have you been livin' under a rock or somethin', ?"

"SOLDIERs; Shinra's super warriors? Mako enhanced?... is any of this ringin' a bell?"

"Not really..."

"Shuddup maggots, an' get ready! Yer not gonna die if ya do what yer supposed to' "

It was child's play for the four SOLDIERs to cut through the barbed wire fence. Their sharp swords cut through the metal fence like hot knives through butter, and by the time the guardmen on the wall had organized themselves to effectively attack the intruders, the SOILDERs had already made it through the fence and were advancing quickly. Not yet discouraged by the intruders progress, the captain gave the order to fire.

"Bring 'um down, maggots! Bring 'um down! I wanna be eaten holed-cheese SOLDIERs for dinner!"

The SOILDERs hardly noticed the shower of bullets as they prepared themselves for the approaching ground level attack. Their enemies had released about twenty large blood hounds out into the field, and the monsterous dogs were headed their way. Behind the dogs, were about a hundred footment armed with guns, swords, and other various weapons.

The four SOILDERs didn't miss a beat as they moved their blades into a more favorable attack position. With General Sephiroth in front, on point, and Angeal and Genesis to his left and right, Zack hardly had to engage any enemies. Bullets whizzed through the air, the dogs barked and growled, and footmen screamed as the four SOLDIERs cut through their ranks.

Not long after they began, the four SOLDIERs reached the building's entrance and the noise up on the tiers became suddenly quiet. The silence was so complete, one would think the tiers had never been occupied. Apprehensive with the sudden silence, the group cautiously took their positions around the main door, and followed the General in after he broke it down.

Inside the crumbeling structure, the four were surprised to be met with no resitance. The build lobby was completely empty, and also were the halls extending from it. Using SOLDIER hand signals, Sepiroth signaled to Angeal, Genesis, and Zack for them to follow in tight formation.

Unsure where their General was leading them, the three other SOLDIERs kept their eyes on the crumbeling walls and cealing, but to their dismay, the building appeared to be entirely empty. Ignoring the strange situation around them, the four SOLDIERs pressed on, determined to find the people that must be residing somewhere within. A few minutes later, the four found their enemies.

Holed up in the cafeteria was the remainder of their enemies. Without their SOLDIER enhancements, the four SOLDIERs would have walked right into the awaiting ambush. As it was, the General was the best, and knew of the ambush long before he and his men would have walked into it. Just out of sight of their enemies, the General stopped his men, signaling to them the situation and how they would proceed.

_/target/ /room/ /ahead/_

_/enemy/ /ambush/ /five-hundred/ /footmen/ /unknown/ /number/ /dogs/_

_/obstacles/_

_/company/ /in sight/ /before/ /target/_

_/expect/ /high/ /difficultly/_

_/formation/_

_/tight/ /four point/ /expanding/ /block/_

_/press/ /enemies/_

_/annilihate/ /everything/ /exclude/ /target/_

After confirming his squad had received the message, the General gave the command to begin. The door was blown inward with a miniature bomb, which was followed with a smoke bomb. After the first round of gunshots had been fired, the General signaled to advance, and the four Shinra SOLDIERs charged into the room.

The second round of gunshots began immediately, and the SOLDIERs used their blades for both attacking and defending simultaneously.

Thrust, parry, lunge, cut, defend, attack, dodge... the motions were fluid, measured, and paced while the SOLDIERs cut through their enemies, keeping tight in formation. As the SOLDIERs made it further into the room, they split into pairs; Genesis and Sephiroth took the right side of the room, and Angeal and Zack took the left. All four continued their deadly dance, without missing a beat.

After ensuring his last enemy was dead, Angeal turned to his student, checking to make sure he was okay. Aside from some minor cuts and scratches, the young SOLDIER was uninjured.

"Well, that was fun..." Zack said, sarcastically, when he noticed Angeal looking at him. Angeal merely raised an eyebrow at the statement, before indicating that they needed to head over to the other two. Angeal and Zack regrouped with the General and Genesis. Sephiroth relayed his instructions for the remainder of the mission.

"I need to meet with the Turks" The General told his three companions, "Split up and search the remaineder of the facility. The doctor has to be in here somewhere. If you cannot guarentee his capture, do not engage. Call in your location on your PHS, and wait for assistance. The bombs are set to go off at 1600. Make sure you are well away from the building by then, and report to the rendeveous point by 1630". With their plan-of-action issued, the four headed off in separate directions; Sephiroth returned to the entrance of the facility, where a small group of Turks awaited him, Genesis and Angeal followed the staircases leading to the upper levels, and Zack headed for the basement.

As Zack made his way downstairs he recalled his mentor's instruction for subject searching in buildings.

_'Remember Zack, use environmental cues to help increase your search productivity. If you are looking for a person and see an undisturbed layer of dust on the door handle or floor don't check that room from that entrance. If there is only one entrance, then the room is probably empty, if there are two or more, there is a chance that this one is booby trapped-especially if the room within is signaling the presence of your subject.'_

With that in mind, Zack proceeded with his searching.

Zack checked his wrist watch, again, as he sprinted through the hallways and staircases of the crumbling facility. He was running out of time. The bombs were set to go off in twenty minutes and he still had ten floors to climb to reach the main level and exit. If he ran into another enemy and was pulled into a fight, there was a good chance he wouldn't make it out in time.

_B9..._

"Who the hell puts ten basement levels in a research building?" Zack muttered aloud to himself as he climbed the staircase.

B8..._ B7... B6..._

"I don't know what they're up to, Mivels. But I'm guessing we should get out; Four SOLDIERs and two Turks just annillated our army. I don't care what they're up to, I just don't want to be anywhere near them."

Upon hearing the voice, Zack froze mid step, listening to the voices behind the door labeled B6.

"Don't sound so surprised, Maranda. You know the reputation that three of those SOLDIERs have..."

_That voice! Thats our target! _Zack recalled the targets voice from his earlier background search on the man. To say Zack was discomforted by the man's speeches on the videos would be putting it lightly- the good doctor just had that look and tone about him that would make one's skin crawl.

Zack glanced down at his watch again. He only had fifteen minutes left. Engage or leave? Zack's internal war did not last long when he heard the doctor's next words;

"They are up to something, but I'm not sticking around to find out. Knowing Shinra, they'll probably blow the place. But I wont be anywhere near hear to confirm it- that's your job. With you leading the SOLDIERs further into the building, away from me, I'll be able to escape. "

Fueled by a brief flash of anger at the cowardice and blatant disregard for life, Zack burst through the door before Maranda even had a chance to respond.

"What the hell?! You'd just leave her here to die?"

Maranda screamed and ran away from the pissed SOLDIER, deeper into the building. Filing his awareness of her to the back of his consciousness, Zack turned to the creepy old man that was his target.

Doctor Mivels Hailbe was an old man in his sixties. His graying frayed hair stuck out at odd angles, and his lab coat was covered in many stains. From his pocket the doctor pulled out a gun and a knife. With one in each hand, he aimed the gun at Zack, smirking at what he thought would be an easy win.

"Give it up kid. There's no way you're going to survive this"

Not giving his enemy the chance to shoot the gun, Zack lunged forward, creating a shallow cut on the doctor's arm, forcing the gun from his grip. Moving beneath the pathetic attempt at a defense, Zack elbowed the doctor in the stomach, simultaneously running the two of them into the wall and locking the doctor in a hold. After a few hits with the butt of his sword handle, Zack was able to force the man to drop his knife and a moment later, he had the doctor on his knees, with his hands behind his back. Taking some rope from his pack, Zack proceeded to tie the mans hands, before addressing the doctor again.

"I need you to cooperate if we're both gonna get outta' here, alright?"

The doctor was silent for a minute before responding, "Nice try kid, but I'm not going back to Shinra"

With that final statement, the doctor bit down on a poison tablet hidden in his mouth. The pill took immediate effect, and the doctor's body began seizing in a matter of seconds.

"Shit!" Zack quickly searched his pockets for an Antidote, but was dismayed to find none. Next to him, the doctor had gone still. It had taken only about twenty seconds for the tablet to kill the man. Dismayed and frustrated at his failure, Zack searched the doctor's pockets for anything that could be important. Again, the doctor was one step ahead- the man wasn't even carrying a name tag. After confirming again that the doctor was dead, and somehow not faking it through drug induced means, Zack resumed his trek to the main level- the woman Maranda was nowhere in sight, and he was running out of time.

_B5... B4... B3... B2... B1!_

Zack was more relieved than he'd care to admit, when he finally reached the main level and exited the building. The warmth from the bright late day sun was a welcomed feeling, he had five minutes to spare before detonation, and was pleased to see Angeal out in the forest waiting for him. Just as he was about to call out to his mentor, there was a bright flash of light, followed by a roar of sound, and Zack was thrown off his feet.

Angeal watched in horror as his Mako enhanced eyes caught the first flash of the bombs going off. They still were supposed to have four minutes, and Zack was going to be caught in the explosion. It took milliseconds for the domino sequence to innitiate, and Zack was caught in the outer part of the blast, thrown forward before he even knew what was happening. Angeal didn't even have time to move to protect himself as he lost his footing and was thrown backward and buried; he quickly lost consciousness.

Angeal awoke to an uncomfortable pressure on his back. After a moment of regaining his bearings, Angeal maneuvered his way out of the rubble he had been trapped beneath. He didn't know how long he had been unconscious for; it was either a short while, or an entire day, because the sun hadn't moved much from its previous position. It took a moment, but after taking a second to observe his surroundings Angeal's memory of the mission returned.

"ZACK!"

"ZACK!... Dammit..."

Pulling out his phone, Angeal sent an urgent message to Genesis and Sephiroth;

'Over near our stake-out location. Zack is buried in the rubble, somewhere between here and the building site. He was caught in the outer part of the explosion- I do not know if he is alive'

Before Angeal had a chance to do anything else, the General responded with a text of his own;

'We are on our way'

Knowing that the 'we' in the General's text was referring to both the General himself and Genesis, Angeal didn't worry about receiving a response from his other friend. Instead, he dialed Zack's number, hoping to get the kid to answer. It was a rule that all PHS devices were turned to total silent status (meaning no form of notification for incoming calls), prior to beginning a stealth mission, however if by some miracle Zack did have his phone out, Angeal might be able to reach him. Unfortunately, the line immediately went to voice mail, meaning it was either off, or dead.

"Dammit... ZACK, ANSWER ME!"

Angeal continued to search through the rubble, and he was soon joined by the General, Genesis, and the two Turks. After about an hour of searching, Angeal came across something that sent a flicker of hope and a wave of dread through him; sticking out beneath a large cement slab, was a Shinra issued boot. Following the boot further beneath the rubble, Angeal found his student;

"OVER HERE!"

Using all of his Mako enhanced strength Angeal lifted, and nearly threw the cement slab off of his student. Zack was barely breathing, covered in blood and dust, and had some obvious broken bones in addition to the various burns decorating his body. The injury that had Angeal the most worried however, was the nasty cut on Zack's head. With the help of his comrades, Angeal issued first response aid to his student, staunching the flow of blood from the cuts and setting the broken bones.

To Angeal, time passed in a blur. He couldn't focus on anything but his student, and soon all four of the Shinra SOLDIERs were on a helicopter heading back towards headquarters and emergency care. The ride back was a quiet one, and the sickening weight of worry was tangibly felt by everyone; no one knew if Zack was going to make it.

* * *

Thanks for reading! Please let me know what you think and leave a review!

Just so all of you know, this is one of the longest chapters I have ever written! It is over 4,000 words including the author's notes. :) Hope you all have a good weekend!


	3. Chapter 2: Identity Crisis!

Hiya!

Happy New Year, everyone!

A bit of a heads up, the chapter is a bit confusing. Part of it is supposed to be, but if you have any recommendations for clearing up the text, while still keeping the chapter's character, please tell me.

**Thank you to zexydemyx66 and Catslock for reviewing!**

**_Warning! _**_Mention the mental disorder known as Dissociative Identity Disorder, mention of male and female genitalia, language, and homosexuality towards the end of the chapter._

Just a reminder;

Regular narration

/hand signals/

_Sounds_

_'Zack's thoughts'_

_"Aubrey's thoughts"_

Chapter 2: Identity Crisis!

* * *

Three days had passed since the mission, all three of which, Zachary Fair had spent unconscious in the hospital. Though his injuries were severe, the young SOLDIER was strong and healing quickly. Just this morning, he had shown signs of awakening, and his doctors wanted to meet with the young SOLDIER's mentor, and the General, to discuss the boy's future.

It was too this very meeting that Angeal, Genesis, and Sephiroth, were headed.

"I still don't understand why he was so close to the building when it blew" Genesis commented as he walked next to his comrades. Though Genesis neither filled the role of mentor or General, he was still a close friend of both Angeal and Sephiroth, and had participated in the mission that Zack was injured on, so he was attending the meeting as well.

"He would have needed to leave a half hour before the timer went off, to make it to the meeting point in time... how did you even know he was still inside?" Genesis continued, directing his question to Angeal.

"Call it a mentor's intuition. I just had a feeling that he hadn't left yet"

"What on earth could have delayed him for a half an hour? He's a SOLDIER, for Gaia's sake, and he shouldn't have run into anything the the basement of the building, It was supposed to be cleared by Turks before mission start... And why didn't you leave when you were supposed to?"

"We'll have to wait until Zack wakes up to know that. As for me, I wasn't even going to consider risking the possibility of leaving my student behind"

"Zack is not one to disobey orders" Sephiroth cut in, "I have a feeling he ran into our target, and that is what caused the delay"

The three were quiet after Sephiroth's comment, contemplating how a civilian doctor could have held up a second class SOLDIER as skilled as Zack... there had to have been missing details.

A short time later, the three SOLDIER's arrived at the meeting room. A team of three doctors, three nurses, and a few others sat within. One of the doctors, a specialist on severe SOLDIER injuries and the doctor leading Zack's case, welcomed the three as they entered.

"Welcome, General Sephiroth, Commander Hewely, Commander Rasphodos. Please make yourself comfortable, I'm afraid we have a lot to cover"

"Dr. Amcid, thank you for your time. How is Zack, today?" Angeal asked as he sat down across from one of the nurses.

"He has shown significant improvement since last night, I am confident that he will awaken sometime today. Allow me to introduce Doctor Alexzander Seriwino, our leading Neuropsychologist, and Doctor Calva Fizcyole, our SOLDIER Rehabilitation program manager " The three shook hands with each as they were introduced. Dr. Amcid continued once everyone was settled comfortably again.

"Unfortunately, Doctor Barcha Heydrogenbisi, from the science department, was unable to attend. Caleb Fanrchea, his intern, is attending in his stead. To Mr. Fanrchea's right, we have nurses Brichia Meridokn, Oliver Handerbend, and Bryan Zaxrayn. They have been Mr. Fair's daily care personal. Nurse Terra Carenty is with Mr. Fair, now."

Dr. Amcid then gestured to the far end of the table, "For those of you who are unfamiliar with the SOLDIER program, across from me is Director Lazard. To the director's right, his secretary Lynn Boenthry, and to his left, the Head of the Civil Investigation Department, Commander Tseng and four of his department members, Reno, Rude, Sryai, and Tom"

"Forgive my interruption," Sephiroth began, "but I though this meeting was to discuss Fair's health and future in SOLDIER. Is it really necessary to have so many others here?"

"I apologize, General" Tseng spoke, "Just an hour ago, I received some new information regarding the mission all of this occurred on. Director Lazard and I felt this would be a good time to brief everyone on it, and review the mission report itself"

* * *

_Beep..._

_Beep..._

_"I don't wanna get up yet..."_

_Beep..._

_Beep..._

_"Stupid alarm..."_

Slowly, Aubrey awoke from sleep. As she reached around blindly to try and turn off the alarm, she felt something pull on her arm.

"Ouch!... What the?" Immediately opening her eyes to find the source of the problem, she was dismayed to have absolutely no idea where she was.

"Easy hun, you were in an accident and knocked unconscious... you may have some blank spots in your memory"

"Wait, what?"

"You were in an accident and knocked unconscious" The nurse repeated more slowly, "you may have some blank spots in your memory"

"Oh..."

"Are you in any pain, or feel nauseous?"

"No"

"Good. My name is Terra, I am one of the nurses caring for you during your time here. If you ever need anything. Don't hesitate to ask"

* * *

Angeal, Genesis, and Sephiroth left the meeting with heavy hearts and minds. The information Tseng had shared was grave indeed; if confirmed, it would give further light too the situation surrounding Zack, and may in fact be the reason for Zack's current condition. Though the three were silent as they walked, their minds were racing.

The trio stopped as they reached Zack's hospital room. To their relief, Zack was awake and speaking to the nurse. Not wanting to interrupt, they stood outside the door to await their chance to see Zack.

"Can you recite back to me some of what I just said to you?" A woman's voice spoke from within. The trio assumed it was the nurse currently caring for Zack, that Dr. Amcid had mentioned earlier.

"Uh, I was in an accident and knocked unconscious...? You asked me how I am feeling. Your name is Terra and you have been caring for me... If I need anything don't hesitate to ask...?" Zack's voice responded hesitantly.

"Good. I know this is sort of strange, but I ask you to be patient. I need to ask you a few questions to help gauge your memory. Will you remember the color red? I will ask you about it later"

"Uh, sure..."

"Good," Terra smiled briefly at Zack, before returning to her notepad, "Can you tell me your name?"

"Aubrey"

Outside, the three SOLDIERs froze, unwilling to believe what they had just heard. Terra observed Zack a moment, careful to keep her face neutral, before writing her observation. Zack's response was confident, and his current presence did not suggest confusion.

"Your last name?..." The she continued, after she finished writing.

"Sibuz"

Again, the nurse was silent as she watched Zack. He still was not showing any sign of doubt with his own answers.

"Gender?"

"Female"

Outside the three SOLDIERs were getting anxious. Angeal had been watching through the window, and the demeanor his student was portraying worried the SOLDIER. It was obviously Zack who was answering; it was only he and nurse Terra in the room.

"Zack better not be playing this as a joke..." Genesis commented, slightly worried.

"Gen... I don't think he is" Angeal commented, "He sounded completely serious, and _confident_ in his answers... that worries me. Zack could pull off serious for a joke, but that confidence and conviction are another matter entirely... _especially_ with this. Zack wouldn't be able to keep a straight face if he was doing this as a joke"

"Why didn't the nurse correct him?" Genesis pressed.

"To properly evaluate his current state, they need to know what is going on in his head" Sephiroth answered Genesis, with a slightly troubled look on his face. Inside, the nurse continued with the questions. Each answer made the three SOLDIERs even more worried.

"Can you tell me your age, Aubrey?"

"Seventeen"

Outside, again, Genesis questioned the situation.

"Zack is only sixteen, right Angeal? And why did the nurse call him Aubrey? She shouldn't be reinforcing him..."

"Yes, Gen. Zack is only sixteen. And, I'm not sure-"

"-It may help Zack identify that 'Aubrey' is not his name if he hears it said to him as such" Sephiroth interrupted, looking through the window to the pair. "Be silent, so that we may hear his answers"

"What is the last thing you remember, Aubrey?"

'Zack' smiled fondly for a moment before responding, "That's easy; getting ready for halftime with the other Piccolos"

"Alright, thank you for you're patience. Are you still feeling well?"

"I have a little bit of a headache, but I'm not nauseous at all"

"Alright, get some sleep. If anything changes use the call button behind you, and let one of us nurses know. I'll be back later to check in on you"

"Weren't you going to ask me about that color you wanted me to remember?"

"Oh, right. Silly me" Terra said with a small smile, "Do you recall the color I asked you to remember earlier?"

"Red"

"Very good. Get some rest, I'll be back later"

The nurse had barely taken a step outside, and closed Zack's room door before she was bombarded with questions.

"What is going on? Why did you not correct him? Every answer he gave you was fictitious" Genesis stated, almost exasperated.

"Is he going to recover from this? May I go in to see him now? " Angeal asked worriedly.

"Please, Commanders, one at a time" Nurse Terra began with practiced ease, "First, Lieutenant Zachary Fair appears to be displaying injury induced Dissociative Identity Disorder. I can not confirm this until we have done some further evaluation and I will be speaking to his doctors immediately"

After turning to face Angeal, Terra continued "The extent of his recovery is uncertain. He still dazed but that is expected. What worries me most is that he thinks he is a seventeen year old female, and showed no discord when addressed as such" Turning to Sephiroth, she asked, "Is there any other contact on SOLDIER records to contact in case of emergency, particularly here in Midgar? The hospital files indicate Commander Hewely as his emergency contact..."

"No, Angeal is the person he is closest to here. The rest of his family are located in Gongaga; we will only contact or send for them as a last resort. If they need to be brought here, he will be removed from the program, regardless of his recovery"

"Hmm, that seems silly to me but, well, I don't decide SOLDIER policies, do I?" Terra muttered to herself. Turning to Angeal she continued, "The doctors and I will likely need your help identifying the source of his current state. Has Lieutenant Fair ever spoken to you of an Aubrey Sibuz, before?"

"No" Angeal responded, confidently. "He doesn't have time for a girlfriend right now, and there are no females in the SOLDIER or cadet programs. If he met her during his time in Midgar, then it was brief interaction, while out with friend on a day off. If that is not the case, it must be someone from before his time in the cadet program and SOLDIER"

"Hmm, that makes things much more difficult then" Terra added, mostly to herself.

"Terra, let SOLDIER handle finding out who Aubrey Sibuz is" Sephiroth began, "We have better means of finding out that type of information than the hospital staff, and I have contacts that can dig even further, if need be"

"Very well," Terra agreed, "but anything you find, the staff needs to know about. Evaluating her relationship to him will allow us to better gauge his current state. I will notify Dr. Amcid of SOLDIER's involvement in this."

Just as she was about to leave, the nurse looked each of the commanders, and the General, in turn, imparting the severity of her next words, "Due to extreme change of identity, we cannot allow anyone but staff to see him, for now. I will alert you if there are any changes. Good day, Commanders, General"

After a moment of watching the nurse's retreat, the trio turned to one another, silently agreeing to head back to the SOLDIER conference room to review what had transpired.

* * *

Genesis, Angeal, and Sephiroth were silent within the confines of the SOLDIER conference room, each of them with their minds racing.

Zack was one of the best in the program, and definitely showed the most promise for becoming the next first class SOLDIER. Loosing him to this injury, even for a short amount of recovery time, would be detrimental for the program's progress. If it was permanent... Gaia, the trio didn't even want to think about the consequences.

"Are you sure he made no mention of an Aubrey Sibuz, Angeal?" Genesis asked, repeating Terra's question.

"Positive, Gen. He hasn't even spoken to me of an interest for a girlfriend, not that he has any time to see one, anyways"

"Maybe he is gay..." Genesis speculated, his tone serious.

"He's not, Gen. That much I can assure you" Angeal responded, still slightly distracted with his own thoughts.

"How do you know?"

"I spend hours with him, overseeing his training, and I see him almost every evening, outside of training. I know my student, and he's never made any mention or indication of it..."

"Then why the hell would he choose a female for his identity? If she isn't a girlfriend, a close friend (whom he probably would have mentioned to you at least once), and isn't related to him in some way, who is she? How do we know this isn't some weird-ass fantasy of his... and that kid is weird 'Geal, even you can't deny that" Genesis continued, frustrated.

Sephiroth answered, before Angeal could respond, "The extent of his injury and his conviction in his current identity suggest she, who ever she is, is someone important to him" Sephiroth added quietly from where he stood, looking out the window "It is possible that she died long before he ever came to Shinra, in which case, Angeal may not have heard of her". Just then, the conference room door opened, revealing a group of Turks.

"Yo, yo! General, my man! You called, and we answered. What'cha need? OW!"

"Show a little respect to you're superiors, Reno" Rude commented after hitting Reno over his head.

"What can we do for you, Sephiroth?" Tseng asked the General, after indicating for his two subordinates to take a seat. It was not often the General of SOLDIER asked for help, and considering the most recent circumstances, resulting in nearly killing one of his SOLDIERS, the Turks owed a few favors to the General.

"We need some help gathering information regarding Lieutenant Fair" Sephiroth responded, leaving his place at the window to approach the table.

"Yo, how is he, anyways? We were supposed to go out for a drink when all you returned, but you see how well that turned out, yo"

"He thinks he is seventeen year old female, Reno" Genesis supplied.

Reno froze for a moment before cracking up, "HAHAHA, that's funny! Wha' did he do, talk in a high pitched voice and squeal when he realized he had a penis? Tell me, how long was he able to keep a straight face for that? Hahaha! Man, that must have been hilarious! Gaia, I don't know what you three are so worried about, if he's already pulling a prank like that..." Reno's laughter died on his lips as he realized no one else was laughing, "Oh... _shit_. "

"What do you need us to do?" Tseng repeated.

"Does the name Aubrey Sibuz mean anything to any of you?"

* * *

The day following her meeting with the nurse, Aubrey awoke to find herself needing to use the restroom. Still very drowsy from the medications, she struggled to walk to the bathroom adjoining her room. Dragging the IV stand along with her, the minutes it took Aubrey make the trek felt like hours. She collapsed on the closed toilet, exhausted, and out of breath. Vaguely, as she cradled her head in the arch her ams made between her shoulders and the IV stand, Aubrey realized that something was off. Lifting her head again, she glanced at her arms before her.

_"What the...?"_

Those arms were _not_ the arms of Aubrey Sibuz, they were huge! And the skin tone was far too dark for the red haired female's normal tone. Aubrey's gaze traveled down to her legs, only to find them to have the same problem as the arms. Almost hesitantly, Aubrey moved to touch her face. She cringed as she felt it's contours...

"Huh?!" Aubrey barely whispered, not willing to speak, "Ok, I know women have facial hair but that's a little excessive... it's like... it's... like..."

_"It's like I have a beard...? What the hell?"_

A sickening dread dawned upon Aubrey, and her hands quickly flew to her chest, feeling for the assets she knew _had _to be there- she was a girl, after all. To her horror, the chest she found was quite flat and muscled. Pulling up the hospital gown in disbelief, she didn't get a chance to look at her chest, as she had intended. No, her gaze was glued to the southern most part of her anatomy- which was most definitely _not_ female. Aubrey's mind was numb as she did her best to try and stop herself from hyperventilating. Haltingly, as she struggled in disbelief to force herself to poke at the unbelievable sight before her. All thought and reason left her as her touch connected with the appendage, and was very much noted as a feeling to _her _body. Aubrey did the only thing she could...

She screamed.

* * *

Thanks for reading! If you don't mind sparing a moment, reviews are greatly appreciated!


	4. Chapter 3: The Dangers of SOLDIER

**AN: Another monster chapter! 5,040 words! **

**Warnings; Language (edited F-bomb, just a heads up) and mention of male and female genitals and mental disorders such as psychosis and D.I.D**

**Just a reminder;**

Regular narration

/hand signals/

_Sounds_

_'Zack's thoughts'_

_"Aubrey's thoughts"_

**Chapter 3: The Dangers of SOLDIER**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

Zack's scream attracted the attention of the nurses nearby, sending many of them running towards the source of the sound. Among those responding to the situation was nurse Terra. Much to the nurses' dismay, they found the young SOLDIER hyperventilating and muttering to himself.

"Oh my God, this isn't happening! I'm female!... What is this? What's going on? This isn't happening, I'm hallucinating... its just a reaction to the injury... Oh God, the Game! I missed halftime!... No, no, nonononoNO!... Who was crowned king and queen?... This isn't happening... I can't-"

"Aubrey!"

"Terra! Thank God you're here. I'm going crazy... When I look at my body, its not my body! What's going on?"

"Aubrey, I need you to calm down"

"How the hell do you expect me to calm down when I have a penis!? I'm female!"

"Aubrey..."

"Look, are you seeing this?" Aubrey spoke wildly, lifting the hospital gown to make her point. "This, this does_ not_ belong on a female!"

Frantically 'Aubrey' made to stand up, intending to go to the mirror on the wall. She was pushed back down onto the seat by the nurses next to her, "Aubrey, you need to calm down. Just relax, everything is going to be okay".

Not willing to be discouraged by the people around her, Aubrey made her way to the mirror. Without realizing it, she pushed passed three of the nurses with relative ease, knocking them back into the wall. When she reached the mirror, her hysteria returned.

"Oh. My. GOD. Who the hell is that?" She spoke to the face in the mirror. It looked nothing like her. This face, like the rest of her 'body' was much more tanned than it should have been, the hair on her head was short and black where it should have been long and red, and the eyes... the eyes terrified her. The eyes on this person were sky blue, and _glowing_, not her normal dark brown!

"This isn't right... what is wrong with me?..."

'Zack' had begun pacing at this point, and the nurses were beginning to get nervous. A SOLDIER was enough to handle in a normal situation, a panicked SOLDIER was an impossible nightmare. The nurses stepped out back into the hospital room to discuss their options.

"Terra, this isn't working. He won't calm down..."

"Thank you, Kevin, I had not noticed that fact" Terra responded sharply.

"Why don't you call him by his name, he might snap out of it. Or get Commander Hewely, I hear he's always been really good with him"

Terra glanced at her patient in the bathroom. 'Zack' had returned to the mirror and was still hysteric, "Go away, GO AWAY! Dammit! I'm female -this isn't right!"

"The commander is most likely some 60 floors away, Jen... I'm going to talk to Dr. Amcid. Do your best to keep him calm in the mean time. If he goes out of control give him one of the benzodiazepines. Twenty milliliters should do the trick, inject it into his upper arm, just under the deltoid" Terra spoke quietly.

"Terra, that will overdose him! You'll kill him!"

"It will not, Jen. The Mako will eliminate most of it before the effects can even set in-"

"_Him...?"_

The nurses froze at the sound of Zack's voice.

"_Him?_ You mean to tell me I'm _not _hallucinating and I am actually _male?_" Zack's voice was dangerous.

"Jen... go get that benzodiazepine and page Dr. Amcid, _now_. Kevin, go and get a SOLDIER that can help us with this-quickly" Terra said, never taking her eyes off of the young SOLDIER. "Aubrey-"

"Am I in a male or female body?"

"Aubrey, please just listen to me; You need to _calm down_"

"Answer me!... Am I in a male or female body? The other nurse said 'him'... _twice_"

Terra didn't answer, but her lack of answer was all Aubrey needed for confirmation. Stunned into momentary silence, 'Zack' fell back against the door frame. Aubrey fought to hold onto the last threads of her sanity, "Oh God... Oh my God... Oh my God... Oh my God..."

"Aubrey?" Terra questioned, approaching the SOLDIER

"STAY AWAY FROM ME!" Pushing past Terra, while simultaneously throwing her across the room, Aubrey ran to the exit, only to be stopped by a man dressed in full armor.

"Woah there, easy Zack! What's the-"

"I'M NOT ZACK!"

"Dude, calm down..."

"GET OUT OF MY WAY! LEAVE ME ALONE!"

"Zack? Chill buddy. It's just me, Kunsel-"

"Just restrain him SOLDIER" Terra ordered from the other side of the room, as she picked herself up from where she had landed.

Trusting that the nurse was acting in Zack's best interest, Kunsel moved to force Zack into a hold. Mindful of Zack's injuries, it didn't take Kunsel long to get his friend into a locked position on the floor.

"Get off of me!"

"He will once you calm down" Terra answered before Kunsel could comment.

"_Get off!"_

To say Kunsel was a little concerned would be massively understating it. Not only did Zack fall too easily into the hold, but he was struggling against it as if he had never fought a day in his life. The defensive techniques that they learned _before_ entering SOLDIER ensured that even in a situation like this- where the individual appeared to have no clue what was going on- the individual would be able to keep themselves out of danger. It was _ingrained_ in their muscle memory... but Zack wasn't reacting to any of it in the way he should have- and that made Kunsel _very_ worried.

A moment later, Nurse Jen returned with Dr. Amcid and the benzodiazepine. Dr. Amcid measured out an acceptable amount of the drug to administer, and moved over to Zack's right arm.

"What the hell is that? Don't you _dare_ give that to me- I have to find out what's going on!"

Dr. Amcid let Zack's comments slide right past him. Quickly he cleaned the injection site, and administered the drug- Zack struggeling all the while.

"This is going to help you relax. You'll feel better when you wake up next"

"No! Nonono no, no... no.. I have to... figure.. out... what... happened"

The drug took immediate effect, and Zack was unconscious in less than ten seconds.

There was a mutual sigh of relief when Zack slipped into unconsciousness. Gently turning his friend onto his back, Kunsel quickly glanced over Zack, to make sure he hadn't aggravated any of his friend's injuries. A moment later, he turned his attention to the nurse on the other side of the room.

"Are you all right, ma'am?"

"Yes, thank you for your help SOLDIER... you said your name was Kunsel?"

"Yes, ma'am"

"I am Terra, I'll pass on my compliments to your superiors. Things would have gotten very bad if you had not shown up when you did..."

An almost angry voice spoke from the doorway, "What the _hell_ is going on here?_"_

"Commander Hewely, sir!" Kunsel jumped to his feet in salute, "Uhh... Zack, sir... he-"

"He _what_, SOLDIER?"

"I'll take it from here. Commander Hewely, we have some things we need to talk about" Terra interrupted.

After a brief glance to the nurse, in acknowledgement that he heard she had spoken, Angeal returned his gaze to the SOLDIER before him. "You will wait in the hall, SOLDIER"

"Yes, sir"

After Kunsel had left the room, Angeal picked up Zack and returned him to the hospital bed- saving the hospital staff from having to try to move the young man themselves. As the nurses and doctor worked to reattach IVs and monitors, Angeal stepped outside to speak to the SOLDIER.

"You are Kunsel, correct?"

"Yes, sir"

"What are you doing in this part of the hospital? You do not have permission to be here"

"I was walking past the clinic when a nurse, Kevin I believe his name was, approached me. He said that he needed help with one of the SOLDIER patients- that it was an emergency and he could not wait to find another SOLDIER. I followed him here, sir"

"What happened then?"

"Zack and I almost collided -he was trying to leave as I entered. Zack was very upset about something, and I tried to calm him down by speaking to him. Zack however, kept insisting that I move out of his way. The nurse, Terra, instructed me to restrain him- which I did. With Zack restrained the doctor administered some sort of drug to knock him out"

"And that is why he was on the floor, unconscious, when I arrived..."

"Yes, sir"

"Thank you, SOLDIER. Have you missed any obligations due to this incident?"

"No, sir"

"Very well, you will not speak of today's events to anyone. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, sir"

"You are dismissed"

With another brief salute to his superior, Kunsel set off on his way.

Angeal watched the retreating form of Kunsel for a moment before turning to the approaching nurse Terra.

"You said we have some things to talk about, Terra?"

"Yes, Commander. If you do not mind waiting a moment, Dr. Amcid will join us shortly in the meeting room"

"Very well"

Angeal and Terra headed to the floor's meeting room, and on the way Terra picked up some paperwork from the desk at the nurses station. There was no conversation between them while they walked, since Terra was reviewing the files she had picked up. Angeal didn't mind, he too was preoccupied with other things- mainly his concern for Zack, at the moment. The pair's silence continued even after they entered the meeting room, and was only broken by the entrance of Dr. Amcid, a few minutes later.

"Sorry for making you wait, Commander Hewely. I needed to cover how to properly handle amnesic & D.I.D patients with the nursing staff. I am very sorry that this happened" Dr. Amcid stated upon his entrance to the meeting room, as he made his way to a seat nearby.

"What exactly happened, if I may ask?" Angeal asked, directing the question to both Nurse Terra and Dr. Amcid.

"I'm not entirely sure what happened before the nursing staff arrived, but I can tell you my assumption, if you wish" Terra stated.

"Very well"

"The nursing staff arrived in Zack's room when we heard him scream, from down the hall. Judging by his behavior, it was the realization of his male anatomy that caused the panic. When we found him he was sitting in the bathroom, hyperventilating and muttering to himself"

"What was he saying?"

"Things such as 'this isn't happening, I'm female', 'I missed halftime', there was also something about a king and queen in there as well"

"A king and queen? Half time?"

"Do any of these things mean anything to you, or do they mean anything to him, that you know of?" Dr. Amcid questioned Angeal.

" I'm afraid I have no idea where the 'king and queen' might have come from. 'Half time' however may be referring to the 'half time' time mark during timed training exercises... though, it is not a commonly used term, so I don't believe that is correct... what happened after you found him?"

"We tried to calm him buy telling him everything would be okay, and instructing him to calm down, neither however worked. When he tried to rise from his position, myself and two other staff attempted to restrain him by simply pushing him back to his previous place. He was not pleased and pushed the three of us into the wall..."

"Was anyone injured?"

"No, thankfully. In fact, I'm not even sure he realized his own strength"

"What happened then?"

"He made his way over to the mirror, and again, voiced his confusion as to who he saw in the reflection. He again panicked and started muttering to himself- I determined it best to step out of the situation for a moment, and moved the other staff and myself back into the main room to discuss our options. Unfortunately, one of the staff referred to Zack as a male, which Zack overheard-"

"-and that is what set him off, to the point of needing another SOLDIER to restrain him while the staff drugged him..."

"Yes, Commander"

Angeal was silent for a moment as he reviewed the information. The hospital staff were _very_ lucky to have found someone capable of restraining Zack before he completely lost it.

"When will he wake up?"

"Not for another few hours at the earliest"

"I would like to be there when he comes to, and would like at least one SOLDIER operative at his side at all times. The staff is very lucky to have walked away from this with minor injuries. You could have been killed..."

"Thank you, Commander, but that will not be necessary. Zack is currently restrained -with SOLDIER intended restraints- and will remain so until he returns to an emotionally stable state"

"Regardless, I would like to be present when he wakes. I need to see for myself the condition he is in"

"Commander, I don't think that is the best idea- given Zack's most recent episode" Terra added, almost hesitantly.

"You said there are certain procedures that the staff are to follow," Angeal said speaking to Dr. Amcid, "You will tell them to me so that I may see for myself what is going on with Zack, without bringing him any harm"

"You are not giving me a choice in the matter, are you Commander?"

"No, doctor. I am not"

"Very well..." Dr. Amcid replied, resigned. After a few moments in silence, Dr. Amcid spoke again, this time to Terra, "Terra, did Zack show any doubt to his claim of being female, even when he saw himself in a male body?"

"No, doctor. I'm afraid that he was quite adamant in his resolve"

"Interesting... normally something so traumatic would at least place a seed of doubt in the patient... especially in one so articulate this early in the healing process. I wonder if this has anything to do with the mako...?"

"Are you saying, Dr. Amcid, that the mako in Zack is what is causing his current condition?" Angeal asked almost unwillingly.

"Not so much that it is causing it, as it is preventing any further healing"

"I'm afraid I do not understand. Mako accelerates healing... in high dosages it can cause psychosis and varying other mental disorders, amongst other things, but Zack is not at a high enough level to display such a severe response, and he as always handled the injections well enough. Are you saying that the injury has facilitated an early permanent psychotic response in him?"

"It is a possibility, but given his current state, it is highly unlikely. Zack's thoughts and focus are to well channeled, especially this early in his healing, to suggest this is a permanent mako induced psychotic response. No, it is more likely that the rushed healing of the mako has simply put strain on his brain, and this is how he is dealing with the matter"

"So there is a chance he will come out of it, even though he seems so resolved in the idea right now?"

"That seems most likely, Commander. I will be running a few more tests and reviewing all of his results to be sure though"

Angeal nodded his understanding, before looking to his PHS, which had just noted an incoming message; he had some expected paperwork waiting for him in his office and the general was waiting on one of his reports. Closing the phone, Angeal again spoke to the hospital staff, "I have some work I need to get done but I will return this evening after five. When would it be best for me to meet with one of you to be instructed on how I should interact with Zack?"

"I'm afraid I will not be available after four- I have a conference to attend in the city" Dr. Amcid said.

"I will be here, Commander. I can meet with you after five-thirty, I have a meeting between four and five-thirty, but will be available after that time"

"Very well, Terra. I will meet you here at five-thirty" Angeal responded as he stood to take his leave, "Good day, Dr. Amcid, Terra"

"Good day, Commander" The two chimed in response as the door closed behind the large SOLDIER. They looked to one another a moment, before again speaking.

"I will forward any tests I want run to his file. Make sure they happen tonight or tomorrow morning early"

"Yes doctor"

"And make sure that there is at least one vet paired with the newbies. I don't want a repeat of this morning"

"Of course, sir"

"Have a good day, Terra"

"You too, doctor"

On that note, the two went their separate ways. There was much to be done in the next twenty-four hours.

* * *

Six-thirty in the evening had found Angeal at Zack's hospital bedside. The past forty-five minutes had left Angeal's mind reeling. Between Angeal's worry for Zack, and worry for Zack's future in SOLDIER, the paperwork he had to attend to earlier, the report he had filed this afternoon, the unexpected and worrisome visit from Zack's friend Kunsel, to the procedures he had just reviewed with Terra -Angeal found he was struggling to quiet his mind.

What on earth would SOLDIER do without Zack? Even if, by some miracle, he did wake up himself, there was still a very good chance that he would _never_ be allowed to serve in the program again- his injuries were just too severe. The kid had become the program's little 'light in the dark'; he was always bringing a smile to the other SOLDIERs' faces, befriending everyone, welcoming and helping cadets, and just simply making things interesting in the monotony and repetitiveness of the militaristic environment.

Not to mention Angeal would simply miss his student. Already it had been far to long since Angeal had seen his student smile, or hear the kid begging for more of a challenge while training, even when he was barely keeping up with what was in front of him. Frankly, Angeal missed the kid's energy and enthusiasm.

Reigning in his thoughts, Angeal returned to the folder in front of him; a biweekly report on the 'problematic' cadets. Some of the names on the list were of individuals with disciplinary issues, others were of individuals struggling in anything ranging from classes to social development with his peers. Angeal was pleased to see that most of the individuals had shown improvement in the past two weeks. Making a note of the ones that did not, he sent a brief email to his secretary to schedule appointments with the students' instructors in the coming week. Without missing a beat, Angeal turned to the next file, tiredly reviewing it's contents. After making a few notes on the matter, and setting up/doing any necessary follow up, Angeal again turned to the next file. He proceeded like this for hours, until a slight movement and weak groan from Zack's bed, caught his attention.

Looking over to his student, Angeal couldn't help the feeling of relief to see his student conscious. Remembering Terra's instruction, he did his best to keep the conversation vague and allow Zack to direct it as he saw fit.

"How are you feeling?" Angeal asked, setting aside the folders.

"My head is killing me, but I'm okay... Uh, do I know you?" Zack responded hesitantly, as he noted the restraints that held him in place.

"I am one of your teachers- don't pull on those..."

Zack looked at his 'teacher' questioningly. Angeal could tell his student was very dazed, and struggling to keep himself calm. Hoping to pacify him, Angeal offered a brief explanation, noting his student's fixation on the bindings, "You got a bit upset earlier and almost hurt yourself. The doctors just wanted to avoid a repeat of the incident. When the nurse arrives, I'm sure she will release you..."

A brief knock at the door interrupted Angeal's explanation, followed by the entrance of nurse Terra. Noting Angeal's presence, she spoke to him as she approached Zack's bedside, "Dr. Amcid will be here in a moment..."

Taking that as a cue to excuse himself, he addressed Zack briefly, "I'll be just outside, if you need me". As soon as he exited Zack's room, he found Dr. Amcid.

"Good evening, Commander. Terra tells me your student is now awake..."

Checking to make sure he and the doctor were well out of Zack's hearing range, Angeal addressed the doctor.

"Good evening, Dr. Amcid. Yes, Zack just woke up... Terra is with him now" Stopping the doctor before he could pass Angeal's current position, Angeal continued, "I have some information for you that might help you figure out what is going on with Zack..."

"Okay, what is it?"

"Do you recall the SOLDIER that was in here this morning?"

"Yes"

"He is a long time friend of Zack's; the two of them trained together as cadets"

"I'm afraid I fail to see the relevence to Zack's current condition..."

"When he restrained Zack, earlier today, he noticed that Zack was not fighting back as he should have. In fact, and I quote 'it was as if he had never fought a day in his life'-" Angeal raised a hand to stop the doctor from interrupting him, "What concerns me, Dr. Amcid, is that the fighting responses that the other SOLDIER is referring to, are ingrained into every cadet's muscle memory, so that they react without thought... In other words, Zack should have put up a fight with the other SOLDIER-"

"He did fight him, Zack was struggling quite a bit with that other SOLDIER when I arrived"

"Struggling to get free is not the same as fighting your way out of a hold, which is what I am referring to. Without significant damage that response should not have been forgotten. Even in SOLDIERs that have forgotten everything, have proven time and time again that this response reaction is not forgotten"

"I'm afraid I still do not understand, any mobile response can be forgotten depending on the damage done to the body"

"I am aware of that, doctor. What I am trying to say is that this reaction is like the response of pulling one's hand away from something hot. The first time a child places their hand on something hot, they will not remove their hand, even though they may be being burnt- it must be moved for them. After that initial connection, the response remains almost indefinitely, given no severe trauma erases it or prevents it from happening. The fighting response we drill into the cadets is very much like that, it would take extreme trauma to cause it to be forgotten, and I am worried that Zack may be more injured then we originally thought"

"I will make a note in Zack's file, but again, I believe this is connected to the stress associated with the accelerated mako healing. Were there not so many adverse reactions to the mako, I would consider this worrisome. But until Zack identifies with himself again, anything related to SOLDIER- even his muscle memory- cannot be clearly analyzed, as it is being tainted by the mako's influence. I will keep you updated on his progress"

"Thank you doctor"

"Dr. Amcid... all vitals are normal and stable, his blood pressure is a little high, but given the circumstances it can be disregarded, if it returns to normal in the next half hour"

"Thank you, Terra. I would appreciate it if after I leave, you do the same commander. You have seen him awake now, and now he needs his rest..."

Angeal smirked slightly with his next comment, realizing the doctor was still a little sore about their conversation earlier, "You are not giving me a choice, are you doctor?"

"No"

"Very well, thank you for allowing me to see him"

With that, the doctor and nurse returned to Zack's room, leaving Angeal in the hall alone. After five minutes, the doctor and nurse emerged, with instruction that Angeal was to leave as soon as his things were gathered. Respecting the wishes of his student's current caretakers, Angeal knocked on the frame of the door, and awaited permission to enter. When he heard Zack's quiet 'come in', Angeal quickly made his way to his previous place, collecting the various files. Turning to his student, he winced to see Zack covering his eyes with his arms.

"How are you feeling?" He asked in a lowered tone, correctly guessing the cause of his student's current predicament.

"Migrane..." Zack all but wispered.

"What did the doctor say about it?"

"If it isn't gone in an hour, to call for them..."

"I see..."

"I don't mean to be rude, but I really am not feeling so well right now. I appreciate you being here, but I don't really recognize you and-"

"Say no more, I understand" Angeal said with sympathy, "I need to get going anyways. Try to sleep it off, it has worked in the past for me..."

"K..."

With that, Angeal left quietly, turning off the light as he went. It hurt, a lot, that Zack didn't recognize him, but at least Zack hadn't gone crazy like he had earlier in the morning. With that thought in mind, Angeal left the hospital with a slightly lighter heart.

* * *

The following week passed by quickly for Angeal. He was not permitted to see Zack again, as his student had experienced another emotional episode two day's after the first, and Zack didn't need to be drugged out of this one. He fell unconscious within minutes, clutching his head, as if in severe pain. This episode however held some hope in Angeal's eyes. In addition to the previous ramblings about 'half time', Zack had spoken about the mission he was injured on, saying something about how the doctor was an ass, and he had no idea what had happened to the lady that was with the target. Were it not for the unconsciousness Angeal would have been willing to say that Zack was improving; Zack however, had been unconscious since the incident.

* * *

Five day's later, Angeal nearly had a heart attack when he answered a call from the hospital;

"Dude, did I really screw up that bad that you won't even come see me in the hospital?"

"... _Zack_?!..." Angeal asked, stunned._  
_

"Seriously, 'Geal. I'm not to sure what's going on... the nurses said I've been here for days, but wont tell me anything more then that. And I tried to sign myself out-"

"-Don't sign yourself out!"

"Relax 'Geal, they don't even want me outta bed yet... although I'm feelin' pretty good right now. Seriously though, what has happened the past few days?"

"I... uh... just stay there Zack, I'll be down in a few minutes"

"Sure thing! See you in a few, 'Geal!"

Not ten minutes later, Angeal was looking upon _his_ student. His Zack, the crazy, energetic puppy that everyone loves. Hardly able to find words in his relief and happiness, Zack saved him from needing to speak first...

"The doctors and nurses have already been in. They wouldn't let me call you until after they had finished all of their prodding"

"What did they say?"

"If anything changes, even slightly, to tell them immediately. Seriously though, what happened?"

"What do you remember?"

"The mission; talking to you in the forest, pissing off Genesis and The General, attacking the building, searching the building- awww F***-"

"-Language, Zackary"

"Sorry sir... anyways, meeting the doctor, fighting him, him killing himself, exiting the building and seeing you... after that I'm not sure though..."

"The explosion went off early, you were caught in the blast"

"Oh..." It took a moment for that information to process, and Zack's eyes grew wide as it did "O_h_!"

Scrambeling to pull out the mirror from the nightstand table near his bed, Zack sighed in relief, noting that he still was his handsome self. Angeal merely raised an eyebrow as Zack put the mirror away.

Noting his mentor's expression, Zack replied, "What?... you can't blame a guy for being worried. It's one of my most significant assets, and 'first impressions leave a lasting mark'..."

Angeal's response was the progressive increase in height of said eyebrow. Leave it to his student to worry over such a thing, and quote him in the process as an excuse.

"Anyway," Angeal's student continued, "I'm feeling great and ready to get back to work! The staff won't tell me when I can leave though..."

"That's probably because they don't know themselves. You hit your head pretty hard, and have been out of it for the past few days"

"Seriously? I don't even have a headache... Wait a minute, how long have I been in here?"

Angeal repressed a wince, knowing how his student was going to react to his answer.

"Twelve days since the mission date..."

"... WHAT?! _TWELVE_ DAYS?!..."

* * *

**Thanks for reading! Please leave a review (they feed the muse :D )!**


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